After a false start in July, Andrei Mikhailovich will get his shot at boxing gold later this year.
The 26-year-old was scheduled to take on undefeated WBO and IBF world middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly in Las Vegas in July, only to have the fight called off aday out as Alimkhanuly was hospitalised after fainting during his weight cut.
Speaking to the Herald at the time, Mikhailovich’s coach Isaac Peach called for Alimkhanuly to be stripped of his titles due to unprofessionalism. Instead, the two have locked in a new date, with Mikhailovich getting his opportunity to become a world champion in Sydney on October 4. Mikhailovich’s promoters, No Limit Boxing, won the purse bid for rebooking the fight and opted to stage it in Australia.
“I live in the present, but I certainly haven’t forgotten the past,” Mikhailovich said.
“I respect him as the champion but I know that he doesn’t respect me. It’s why I look forward to taking absolutely everything from him.
“I will be writing my name into the history books alongside Joseph Parker and Maselino Masoe as a world champion. This is my destiny, it’s my everything. I will stop at nothing to make sure the world remembers the name Andrei Mikhailovich.”
The Russian-born New Zealander has struggled to get a high-level fight since bursting onto the scene, with Kazakh boxer Alimkhanuly withdrawing from their original date the latest in a series of setbacks for Mikhailovich.
His only fight in the last 17 months was against Australian journeyman Les Sherrington in April - a first-round stoppage for the Peach Boxing pugilist.
He goes into his world title fight with an unblemished record in 21 professional bouts, with 13 wins by stoppage. Alimkhanuly holds a 15-0 professional record with 10 wins inside the distance.
“In the Olympic Games in Sydney, two Kazakh boxers won gold. Bekzat Sattarkhanov and Yermakhan Ibraimov inspired many Kazakhs,” Alimkhanuly said.
“I grew up with a dream to glorify my country like them. I am very happy that I will box in Sydney. I want to show the world my flag in Sydney once again, as our Olympic champions did in 2000.
“The fight with Andrei is very important to me. Because he is an official contender for my title. He is like a cloud for me now. I must quickly get rid of the cloud to see the sun. Everyone knows and understands that he is easy work for me. I will knock him out very quickly.”
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.
